Outcomes:

Short and Long-term outcomes of fertility treatments (parents AND offspring)

Development of an expanded SART CORS database (and, potentially, with linkage to other databases)

Development of iPad/iPhone-type app for direct data input by patient

Other areas of possible interest and importance to the field:

The microbiome

Integration of various “-omics” findings

Validation of emerging biomarkers for diagnosis of reproduction-related disease(s)

Gene editing of germline/embryos

It is stressed that the Institute processes should be nimble enough to be in position of quickly addressing unexpected clinical needs which lead to new opportunities for research (e.g., as happened for Zika).

Note: There are other general and common areas of reproductive research for which current funding already exists, albeit at relatively decreased or low levels. These topics do not meet the criteria listed above for priority areas to fund at the present time. However, the consensus of both the Research Task Force and the Steering Committee was to keep these topics on the list for annual review and consideration. These topics’ prioritization may be changed based on a shifting research climate and potential new discoveries. These topics include: